The invention relates to an inflation device for balloons and other inflatable objects. It relates, more particularly, to inflation devices of unitary construction.
Toy balloons and similar extensible articles of rubber and plastic sheeting are commonly inflated by means of compressed gases -- chiefly bottled helium -- or by means of blowing air from the lungs into the interior volume defined by the continuous sheath of the article.
Once inflated, such articles tend to maintain their shape and function until the internal pressure is relieved, in time, through leakage. The main source of such leakage, and hence the greatest handicap to the longevity of the artifact, lies in the closure at the inflation nozzle. Quite often the opening through which the inflating gas had been admitted is simply tied off, either by making a knot in the material of the balloon itself, or by passing a string around the nozzle and pulling it tight in a knot. The latter method has the advantage that quite often, especially in the case of toy balloons, there is a requirement for a string by which the balloon may be held captive.
It is more common, especially when the inflation of the balloons, or other such artifacts, is undertaken as part of commercial activity that the process of filling the balloon and sealing the nozzle is undertaken via a one-way valve entrapped in the nozzle portion of the balloon. The primary requirements for such valves consist of lightness, a tight seal -- both at the periphery of the valve and within the valve components themselves -- and ease of insertion and operation.
Inflating valves of the prior art have been modeled on the non-return valves commonly encountered in the hydraulic arts and comprised a body and a separate valve element, either a movable plug or a resilient valve plate, which was movable with respect to a seat in the body.
Because of their two-part construction such valves of the prior art are both relatively heavy, difficult to manufacture, and expensive. Additional problems inherent in the two-piece construction involve a greatly increased probability of leakage, especially with respect to helium, the most commonly employed inflatant for toy balloons and other such artifacts which are intended to be lighter than the atmosphere, because of the tendency of helium to pass through the smallest passages and crevices. In fact, helium is the most commonly employed of fluids in the hydraulic arts for the detection of leaks and is widely used to test components which are meant to be hermetically sealed from their surroundings.
It is, therefore, the primary object of the invention to provide a unitary inflation device in which the flexible sheath of article to be inflated co-operates with a valve body to form the inflation passage and to seal the internal volume after inflation.
It is further object of the invention to provide such a unitary inflation device which is light in weight and simple in construction.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide such an inflation device which is adapted to be inflated by either bottled gases or by mouth.
It is also an object of the invention to teach constructional features in such inflation devices which particularly adapt them for use with automatic and semi-automatic inflation systems, as well as means for attaching strings when employed in toy balloons and the like.
It is an additional object of the invention to teach the construction of unitary inflation devices for inflatable articles which are economical to produce and easy to use.
It is also an object of the invention to describe unitary inflation devices particularly adapted to the simultaneous inflation of two or more nested balloons.
It is yet another object of the invention to teach the construction and use of support devices for toy balloons inflated with atmospheric air and particularly adapted to cooperate with the unitary inflation devices of the invention.